Valve-spindle-retaining device



APPLICATION FILED MAY28, 1921.

Patented Sept. I2, 1922.

n inval? Patented Sept, l2, ll22c LEWIS C. BAYLES, 0F ESTON, PENNSYLVANI, ASSIGNOR T0 INGERSOLL-BAND COM- IPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OIF NEW JERSEY.

VALVE-SPINDLE-RETMNING DEVICE.

lapplication led May 28,

To all whom t may concer/n: y

Be it known that I, LEWIS C. BAYLES, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Easton, county of Northampton, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain Valve-Spindle-Retaining Device, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings.

This invention relates to retaining devices for valve spindles, but more particularly to a device for retaining a screw threaded valve spindle in the bore of a valve casing and resisting the tendency of the valve spindle to rotate or unscrew due to vibration and Huid pressure. i

ln a machine which is subject to excessive vibration, as a fluid actuated rock drill of the hammer type for instance, and. in other machines, diliiculty has been eXperienced in retaining such devices as controlling valves and valve spindles in their casings due to the vibration. A screw threaded valvey spindle may become partially unscrewed which varies the valve adjustment, or it may become entirely unscrewed and lost from the machine.

Lock nuts land various similar devices have been provided for locking a valve spindle in position, but they have proved unreliable and unsatisfactory, and the objects of the present invention are to secure a reliable and positive device which can be depended upon to prevent unscrewing or loss of the valve and valve spindle under excessive vibration.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear and to the ends set forth herein the invention consists of the features of construction and arrangement of parts described and claimed in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, illustrating one preferred practical embodiment of the invention, in which l Figure 1, is a longitudinal central sectional view through a valve embodying the present invention,

Figure 2, a side elevation of a portion of a rock drill casing showing an exterior view of the device as it appears in use,

Figure 3, a section on the line 3-3 of .pose of rotating the valve.

1921. Serial No. enfile.

Figure 1, loolnng in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4, a spring retainer.

The invention is shown as applied to a needle valve the essential parts of which are of the usual form as employed in fluid actuated hammer drills, for instance. -A valve having the general characteristics of this particular type is shown in Figure 3, of the patent to W. A. Smith, No. 1,372,915, dated March 29, 1921. However, the valve as shown herein embodies certain specific detailso construction over that shown in the patent referred to in addition to the features which are inherent in the present inventlon.

Referring to the drawings, a portion of the cylinder casing A of a liuid actuated hammer drill is shown having a needle valve B, located in a valve chamber C, which needle valve regulates the ow oi fluid under pressure passing trom-a conduit l) leading into the chamber C and thence to a passage E leading from said chamber C to the point of use in the machine. The needle valve B is provided with a screw threaded portion F cooperatin with a corresponding screw threaded port1on G ot the walls of the chamber C so that'the needle valve B may be rotated and is lon itudinally adjustable to and from its seat plan view ot the UI-shaped rlhe body portion J of the valve is in the form of a spindle, preferably of slightly greater diameter than the needle portion B, having a wing orl thumb nut K for the pur- '.llhe valve spindle J is surrounded by an externally threaded hollow bushing Lwhich is screwed into the internally threaded enlarged chamber M of the cylinder portion A. rlhe bushing L thus forms a part of the valve casing. Packing 0 is inserted at the base of the chamber portion M surrounding the valve portion F and is held tight by rotation of the bushing L, a lock nut P threaded on the bushing L maintaining the adjustment of the bushing.

The construction just described is that usually employed, in which the compreion of the packing O against the screw threaded 1 between the arms is relativel within the tory, for the vibra-tion of the machine causes rotation of the valve even with tight packing and furthermore, the packing quickly loosens rendering it useless so far as retain- 'ing the adjustment of the valve is concerned, and it becomes necessary to frequently loosen the lock nut P and tighten the bushin L.

t(Suitable means for preventing unintentional rotative movement, and consequently loosening `of the valve spindle, consists in the provision of a holding device or retainer, interposed between the valve spindle and the walls of the valve casing.

This retainer preferably consists of a wire pring Q which passes through an aperture having flared openings in the thumb piece K and is then bent into angular U-shaped form about the valve spindle. The inwardly projecting spring arms S and T of the retainer have their ends bent sli htly inward. One of said arms, that lettere S, is preferably longer than the other, and th tension sti The sides of the valve spin e J are preferably cut away or recessed at diametrically o posite sides forming longitudinal grooves Il) of suilicient length and depth to receive the arms S and T of the spring retainer. The internal wall V of the bushing L which forms part of the valve enclosing casing has a plurality of lono'itudinal flutes or depressions W. These lutes are adapted to be engaged by the ends of the spring arms S and as shown'in Figure 3, the arms bearing against the wall of the casing and thus holding or retaining the valve spindle J against rotative movement and maintaining the predBetermined adjustment' of the needle valve When insertin the valve in the casing the expansible armsgS rooves U. The longer arm S is then rst lnserted and is followed by the shorter arm T, the difference in length between the arms materially facilitating the assembly of the parts.

The valve is readily rotated by means of the thumb piece K to effect a predetermined adjustment of the needle valve, the ends of the sprin arms riding over the edges of the flutes an coming to rest in the flutes. The adjustment thus fixed can not be disturbed by the ordinary vibration of themachine.

The present form of valve retainer has been found efficient in use, is simple in construction and cheap to manufacture. Whilea-'U-shaped sprin `on the valve cooperating with longitudina flutes in the bushin has been found to be one suitable and pre erred form of device for carr ing out the objects of the invention, other fbrms of devices may and T are held depressed.

j Lezama l. A device for retaining a screw threaded valve spindle in its casing, comprising a retainer 1n the form of a U-shaped spring adapted to pass through the spindle, the spring arms of said retainer being adapted to enter the bore of the valve casing and bear against the walls thereof to resist the.

tendency of the valve spindle to rotate due to vibration. a

2. A device for retaining a screw threaded valve spindle in its casm comprising a. retainer in the form of a -shaped sprlng adapted to pass through the spindle', one spring arm of the retainer being longer than t e other to facilitate entry of both arms into the bore of the valve oasin as the valve and spindle are inserted, sai a'rms being adapted to bear against the walls of the casing and resist the tendency of the valve spindle to rotate due to vibration.

3. In a device of the class described, a. casing having a bore formed with internal flutes, a valve and valve spindle threaded into said casing, and a retalner inthe form of a U-shaped spring adapted to pass through the spindle, the spring arms of said retainer being adapted to enter the bore of the casing and engage the utes with spring pressure to resist the tendency of the valve spindle to rotate due to vibration.

4. A device of the character described comprising a valve casin a rotatable longitudinally adjustable va ve located in said casing and controlling the passa e through the valve casing and anexpansib e angularly bent U-shaped spring attached to said valve said spring having arms parallel with the opposite longitudinal sides of said valve, said arms engaging the internal walls of the casing for preventin free unintentional rotative movement of t e valve and maintain.

6. A device of the character described i comprisin a valve casing, an internally luted bus ing at the outer end of said casing,A a rotatable longitudinally adjustable valve threaded in said easing and controlling the passage through the easing, said valve passing through said bushing, and a spring bent to form a U-shaped member passing through said valve the arms of said spring being adapted to engage the utes of the bushing with spring pressure to posi- 1n testmo specification.

ny whereof I have signed this LEWS C BAYLES. 

